Lewis Hamilton hopes to come back after the summer break with his batteries recharged so he begin closing the gap to Sebastian Vettel in the championship standings.

The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team racer sits fourteen points behind his Scuderia Ferrari rival after finishing fourth in the Hungarian Grand Prix, but admits the 2017 season so far has been draining for him on a physical, mental and emotional level.

Hamilton has four wins to his name so far this season but has endured some tough races, with the Briton finishing off the podium on five occasions, the most recent of which saw him drop thirteen points to Vettel at the Hungaroring.

“It’s definitely been very tough, physically, mentally and emotionally for everyone in the team,” said Hamilton on Autosport. “I can only really speak on my behalf, and it’s definitely been a difficult season up to now.

“The break will be very good for everyone to spend some time with family and whatever they do – recharge and come back fresh.

“I truly believe that we have the capability of winning this championship, but it’s going to take absolutely 100% of everyone’s effort to pull it off. I can just encourage my team to come back strong and I’ll try to come back even stronger.”